Sim Pail Sent Ants Struck Shore (Simple Sentence Structure)

Sim Pail Sent Ants Struck Shore (Simple Sentence Structure)
Abe You Team Arc

A beauty mark
Dawn Dude Rugs
Don't do drugs
Dish Hippie Slaw Stats He
This ship is lost at sea
Four End Hick Tater
Foreign Dictator
Hugh Knigh Teds Dates
United states
Toot Hence Two Ray Lacks
Too tense to relax
Nod Itch Ants
Not a chance
Dawned rink hand arrive – don’t drink and drive
Can you keep a secret?

Canoe Key Pass Egret
Go in peace
Cohen Peas
Wheel Yum Air Ream He"
Answer:
"Will you marry me"
"Eye Needle Ax Eight If"
Answer:
"I need a laxative"
1. Tack Seed Rye Fur
2. Spike Ids
3. Wad Ape Hair
4. Mike Arson Dish Hop
5. Uphill Love Height
Tim
Hi. I'm Tim and this is my Pronunciation workshop. Here I'm going to show you how
English is really spoken. It'll help you become a better listener and a more fluent
speaker. Come on, let's go inside. Here's a question for you: When is a tea not a tea?
Well, this is the answer. What is it? And what colour is it? Let's go to the streets of
London to find out.
Voxpops
It's a white piece of paper.
That is a white piece of paper.
That's a white piece of paper.
Tim
Now the word 'white' ends in the sound /t/ doesn't it? Or does it? Let's have another
listen.
Voxpops
Tim
In fluent speech, if one word ends in a /t/ sound and the next word begins in a /p/ sound,
the /t/ is pronounced slightly differently. In fact, we pronounce it as if it were almost a
/p/ sound. So 'white piece of paper' becomes 'whi(te) piece of paper'. Let's take another
look, this time in slow motion:
Voxpops
whi(te) piece
whi(te) piece
whi(te) piece
whi(te) piece
whi(te) piece of paper
Tim
Interesting, hey? This is an example of how sounds change in everyday speech - and
it's called assimilation. Here are some more examples:
Examples
There are lots of grea(t) parks in London.
I love spli(t) pea soup.
I ha(te) potatoes.
My ma(te) picked us up from the airport.
Tim
Right, so, you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn. Are you ready to have a
go? Listen and repeat.
Examples
There are lots of great parks in London.
I love split pea soup.
I hate potatoes.
My mate picked us up from the airport.
Tim
How did you get on? Great. If you want to hear more about this topic, please visit our
website bbclearningenglish.com. That's about it from the pronunciation workshop this
week. Bye bye.
Did you just see…? I could have sworn it was… You know, sometimes I think I have a
split personality!
Tim
English is really spoken. Come on, let's go inside. When you meet someone for the first
time, there are several things you can say. If you want to be formal, you could say 'How
do you do?' But there is another, less formal expression. Do you know what it is? Let's
meet some of the people of London.
Voxpops
It's nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Tim
Well, it's nice to meet you too. Now, the word 'meet' ends in the sound /t/, and the word
'you' begins with /j/, don't they? Or do they? Listen again. What can you actually hear
when these two sounds come together?
Voxpops
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Tim
In fluent speech, when one word ends in /t/ and the next begins with a /j/ sound, like
'you' or 'yours', then the two sounds come together and change to /ʧ/. So 'meet you'
becomes /miːʧuː/. This is an example of assimilation. Now you might remember that in
a previous video I mentioned that the /t/ sound can disappear in between two
consonants. Well, this can still happen if the next word is 'you' or 'your', but it's more
usual for the /t/ to change to /ʧ/ in this case. Here are some more examples.
Examples
That shirt won't suit you.
Don't you want to come to the party?
I bet your boss doesn’t know.
Can I get you anything?
Tim
Right, so you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn. Are you ready to start?
Listen and repeat.
Examples
That shirt won't suit you.
Don’t you want to come to the party?
I bet your boss doesn’t know.
Can I get you anything?
Tim
Well done. Now remember, if you want to learn more about pronunciation, then please
visit our website, bbclearningenglish.com. And that is about it from the pronunciation
workshop for this week. I'll see you soon. Bye bye! Ugh. That is not right.
Tim
Hello.
Tom
Hello, is that Tim? It's Tom.
Tim
Oh hi, Tom. Yeah it's Tim.
Tom
So, did you enjoy your tea?
Tim
No. It was disgusting.
Tom
Ha ha, that's because I put salt in, instead of sugar - gotcha!
Tim
Why, you little... I'm gonna get you. I have a very particular set of skills. Skills that make
me a nightmare for people like you. I will hunt you down. I will find you. And I will put
shaving cream on your pillow. Brothers, eh?! Well I guess that goes to show that you
can't always get what you want. Now, time to start plotting my revenge. Idiot.
Tim
English is really spoken. Come on, let's go inside. Now, these days, when you go to a
real shop do you prefer to pay by cash or by plastic? What do we call one of these?
Now, I'm sure you already know, but let's hear what the people of London call it.
Voxpops
It’s a credit card.
Credit card.
Credit card.
Credit card.
Credit card.
Tim
A credit card. Now, the word 'credit' ends in the sound /t/, doesn't it? Or does it? Watch
and listen again. What sound can you actually hear?
Voxpops
It’s a credit card.
Credit card.
Credit card.
Credit card.
Credit card.
Tim
In fluent speech, when one word ends in a vowel sound followed by a /t/ and the next
word begins with a /k/, the /t/ changes to a /k/. So /kredɪt kɑːd/ becomes /kredɪk kɑːd/.
It's an example of assimilation. And here are some more examples.
Examples
Don't let it get cold!
You have to do it quickly.
There's no short cut to learning a language.
I didn't like that cake.
Tim
Right, so you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn. You know the drill. Listen
and repeat.
Examples
Don't let it get cold!
You have to do it quickly.
There's no short cut to learning a language.
I didn't like that cake.
Tim
Well done. Now, remember, if you want to learn more about pronunciation, then please
workshop for this week. I'll see you soon. Bye bye! Now, to be honest, I don't really use
cash or card these days. I don't need them. No. If you want to maintain your street cred,
then the only way is pay by phone. Erm. Have you got a charger?
Tim
English is really spoken. Come on, let's go inside. Well, here we are in the pronunciation
workshop for the final time. Today, let's look back on what we've covered in this series
and I'll offer some final tips and words of advice. When we write English, each word is
separate; there are spaces between the words. But, that's not how we speak English. If.
We. Did. It. Might. Be. Easier. To. Understand. But. We. Would. Sound. Like. Robots.
No. When we speak English, although there are some pauses, we mostly bump the
words together. And when these words bump into each other certain things can happen
that affect the sounds. We've learned that /t/ and /d/ sounds disappear between
consonants:
Example
'Mashed potato' becomes /mæʃpəˈteɪtəʊ/.
Tim
Consonant sounds can link with vowel sounds:
Example
'An egg' becomes anegg.
Tim
Certain vowel sounds can link with certain other vowel sounds by adding sounds:
Example
'The shoe is…' becomes the shoe/w/is…
Tim
Two consonant sounds can join together, or twin.
Example
'It takes two' becomes /ɪt:eɪks tuː/.
Tim
Some sounds can change completely:
Example
'Green Park' /griːn pɑːk/ becomes /griːmpɑːk/.
Tim
Unstressed grammar words are often weak:
Example
'I'd have been late' becomes /aɪdəv bɪn leɪt/
Tim
And we've also seen how a little sound, schwa, is important to the rhythm of natural
spoken English.
Example
'A piece of cake' /ə piːsə keɪk/
Tim
These are all features of what we call connected speech. Natural speech is full of these
features. And for native speakers, these changes happen automatically. The more you
can get used to listening to and speaking English, the more naturally they'll come to you
too. But my advice is that the most important thing to pay attention to is schwa. Getting
schwa in the right place is the first step to getting English pronunciation right. And that,
for the last time, is about it from the pronunciation workshop. And always remember that
if you want to learn more about pronunciation or other aspects of English, then please
visit our website, bbclearningenglish.com. Thank you so much for watching this series
and I'll see you soon. Bye bye! Erm, hello? Hello? Erm. I can't get out. What do I do?
Help! Help! Oh. Somebody?
Tim
English is really spoken. Come on, let's go inside. Now, if you’ve been following my
adventures in this workshop, you will know that I have had a bit of bad luck, now and
then. But not half as much bad luck as this chap. Listen to what these people are saying
about him.
Voxpops
He looks like he’s had an accident.
Tim
Now, they all used the word ‘he’ twice. But there were two different pronunciations.
Listen out for them both as you watch again.
Voxpops
Tim
In fluent speech, if the word ‘he’ comes at the beginning of a sentence or clause, then
the ‘h’ sound /h/ is pronounced. But if it comes in the middle of a sentence or clause and
after a consonant, then the ‘h’ sound is not usually pronounced.
So /hiː/ becomes /iː/ and ‘he looks like he’s had an accident’ becomes ‘he looks like ‘e’s
had an accident’. Not this change also happens with certain other words beginning with
the ‘h’ sound, like him, his or her. Here are some more examples.
Examples
I really like his cooking.
We think he’s left the country.
They let him leave early.
They offered her a promotion.
Tim
Right, so you’ve heard the examples, and now it’s your turn. You know the drill by now.
Listen and repeat.
Examples
I really like his cooking.
We think he’s left the country.
They let him leave early.
They offered her a promotion.
Tim
workshop for this week. I'll see you soon. Bye bye! Now, that man in the photograph –
his head looked a bit sore – which reminds me. Saw! I love DIY! Actually, I am a bit
accident-prone. But my twin Tom is very good with his hands. I think I’ll give him a ring
and ask for his advice. Ow! Every time!
Tim
English is really spoken. Come on, let's go inside. Phew, just made it. A little bit late
today. My alarm didn’t go off this morning, so, I nearly missed the bus.
Voice
Err... Tim, why do you need a bus to get to the shed at the end of your garden?
Tim
Well, you know it’s a really big garden.
Voice
Really?
Tim
OK, fine. Look, I’ll let you into a little secret. This actually isn’t my workshop. I’ve been
borrowing it from a friend. Anyway, I nearly missed the bus, but I didn’t. So, let’s ask
some people in London what they would do if their alarms hadn’t gone off this morning.
Voxpops
If my alarm hadn’t gone off this morning, I’d’ve missed the bus.
I’d’ve stayed home.
I’d’ve woken up anyway.
I’d’ve been late for work.
I’d’ve missed the train.
I’d’ve stayed in bed.
Tim
In an earlier video we saw that the verb ‘have’ is pronounced as /hæf/ when it’s used in
its modal form. But this isn’t the only way the pronunciation of ‘have’ can change. Watch
and listen again. Can you hear how they pronounce it differently?
Voxpops
If my alarm hadn’t gone off this morning, I’d’ve missed the bus.
I’d’ve stayed home.
I’d’ve woken up anyway.
I’d’ve been late for work.
I’d’ve missed the train.
I’d’ve stayed in bed.
Tim
When the verb have is used as an auxiliary it’s often contracted. And when it comes
after a consonant sound it’s pronounced /əv/. So, ‘I’d have been late’ becomes ‘I’d’ve
been late’. This pronunciation is very common in conditional sentences, but it’s not the
only time you’ll hear it. Here are some more examples.
Examples
Your parcel should’ve been delivered yesterday.
I would’ve done it differently.
We might’ve made a mistake.
The police’ve arrived.
Tim
Right, so you’ve heard the examples, and now it’s your turn. Listen and repeat.
Examples
Your parcel should’ve been delivered yesterday.
I would’ve done it differently.
We might’ve made a mistake.
The police’ve arrived.
Tim
workshop for this week. I'll see you soon. Bye bye! OK, now how does this alarm work?
I guess I should’ve read the instructions! That was really loud!
Tim
English is really spoken. Come on, let's go inside. Now, do you know the word speeb?
No, of course not because it’s not a real word. Or is it? Listen to some people in London
talking about this.
Voxpops
It’s a speed boat.
Speed boat.
Speed boat.
Speed boat.
Speed boat.
Tim
Now, the word speed ends in the sound /d/, doesn’t it? Well not always. Watch and
listen again, what sound can you actually hear?
Voxpops
It’s a spee? boat.
Spee? boat.
Spee? boat.
Spee? boat.
Spee? boat.
Tim
In everyday speech, when we’re speaking fluently, if one word ends in a vowel sound
followed by a /d/ and the next begins in a /b/, then the /d/ changes to a /b/ and then
merges with the /b/ from the following word. So ‘speed boat’, becomes ‘speebboat’.
Watch again, this time in slow motion. Look at the mouth shape. Can you see /d/ or is it
just /b/?
Voxpops
Speeb boat.
Speeb boat.
Speeb boat.
Speeb boat.
Speeb boat.
Tim
This is another case of assimilation. Here are some more examples.
Examples
My son is a really good boy.
I’m sorry if I was rude before.
My car had to be towed back to the garage.
You should buy him a present.
Tim
So, you’ve heard the examples, and now it’s your turn. You know the drill. Listen and
repeat.
Examples
My son is a really good boy.
I’m sorry if I was rude before.
My car had to be towed back to the garage.
You should buy him a present.
Tim
Well done. And remember, if you want to learn more about pronunciation, then please
workshop for this week. I’ll see you soon. Bye bye! Aah – you know, one day I’m going
to get one of these. Not a toy, obviously, but the real thing. My dad promised. He said if
I was a good boy he’d buy me a boat. That was quite a long time ago actually. I think I
was five years old – and I have been a good boy. Maybe he’s just forgotten. I’m never
going to get my speed boat, am I?
Tim
English is really spoken. Come on. Let’s go inside. How do you ask for help? And what
is the connection between this… and this? Well, this is a piece of what? And what is the
female version of this animal called? Put them together and what do you get? Well,
here’s how some people in London ask for help.
Voxpops
Would you do me a favour?
Tim
Wood. Ewe. Would you – get it? Now, the words ‘ewe’ and ‘you’ have the same
pronunciation, don’t they? But what happens to the word ‘you’ when it comes after the
sound /d/? Watch and listen again
Voxpops
Tim
In fluent speech when one word ends in a /d/ sound and the next word begins in a /j/
sound, the two sounds come together and change to a /ʤ/ sound. You also might have
noticed that the /uː/ in 'you' can change to schwa. So 'would you' becomes 'woul/ʤ/ou',
or even ‘woul/ʤə/’ This is an example of assimilation. Here are some more examples.
Examples
I’m sad you decided to quit.
Could you get here by midnight?
Should you see him, can you give him a message?
I don’t think the gold you bought was real.
Tim
Right, so you've heard the examples. What do we do? Listen and repeat.
Examples
I’m sad you decided to quit.
Could you get here by midnight?
Should you see him, can you give him a message?
I don’t think the gold you bought was real.
Tim
workshop for this week. I'll see you soon. Bye bye! Right, now, what am I going to do
with you? Ha ha – what am I going do with ‘ewe’, get it? Oh come on, would you give a
guy a break?! She gets it.
Tim
English is really spoken. Come on, let's go inside. This week, I’m going to need some
help from my favourite twin. Please welcome back Tom, who’s going to help me
present. Hi Tom!
Tom
Hi Tim! Now, are you a lover?
Tim
Or a fighter? Do you prefer to dance?
Tom
Or would you rather have an argument?
Tim
There’s an expression we have in English that contains the name of a dance …
Tom
… and means when two people get involved in a fight or argument, then in most cases
both have to take some of the responsibility. Do you know the expression?
Tim
Well, let’s ask the people of London.
Voxpops
It takes two to tango.
Tim and Tom

Tom
Lot of ‘t’s in that, Tim.
Tim
Lot of ‘t’s indeed, Tom. Five in fact. It takes two to Tango. But are all of these usually
pronounced? Can you hear all of them? Listen again.
Voxpops
Tim
You might remember from a previous video that when the sound /t/ comes in between
two consonants, we don’t usually pronounce it.
Tom
But what happens if there is a vowel sound before the /t/? and the next word also
begins with /t/?
Tim
Well, in this case the two /t/ sounds join together to create one slightly stronger /t/. So ‘it
takes two’ becomes 'it takes two'. This is an example of twinning or gemination. Here
are some more examples.
Examples
It took him twenty years to get to the top.
You don’t have to cheat to pass the test.
You were right to be upset.
We took the overnight train to Venice.
Tim
Right, so you’ve heard the examples, and now it’s your turn. You know the drill. Listen
and repeat.
Examples
It took him twenty years to get to the top.
You don’t have to cheat to pass the test.
You were right to be upset.
We took the overnight train to Venice.
Tim
workshop for this week. We'll see you soon. Bye bye! Ah, thank you for all your hard
work, Tom.
Tom
Ah. No problem, you’re the best Tim.
Tim
Hey, thanks, you’re great too. Ah! That was weird! What was that all about?
Tom
Hey, you started it.
Tim
No I didn’t.
Tom
Yes you did.
Tim
Well, maybe a little bit. I guess that just goes to prove it takes two to tango.
Tim
English is really spoken. Come on, let's go inside. Where were you born? Where do you
come from? Here's what we heard when we asked some people in London their names,
and where they come from.
Voxpops
My name's Charlotte, and I'm from Darwin in Lancashire.
My name's Ollie, and I'm from Norfolk.
I'm Amy from London.
Allie, I'm from Northern Ireland.
My name's Victoria. I'm from Cambridge.
Tim
Now they all used the word from, didn't they - but they didn't pronounce it /frɒm/. Listen
again: how is it pronounced?
Voxpops
My name's Charlotte, and I'm from Darwin in Lancashire.
My name's Ollie, and I'm from Norfolk.
I'm Amy from London.
Allie, I'm from Northern Ireland.
My name's Victoria - I'm from Cambridge.
Tim
The word from is a preposition; it's usually not that important in a sentence, so it's often
unstressed. Now, at the end of the question, "Where do you come from?" It's
unstressed, but it is still pronounced /frɒm/. However, when it's unstressed, and it
comes in the middle of a sentence, the /ɒ/ changes to schwa, so /frɒm/ becomes /frəm/.
This is an example of a weak form, and here are some more examples.
Examples
I borrowed it from my brother.
I read the book from cover to cover.
The nearest post office is not far from here.
Come over any time from seven o'clock.
Tim
Right, now you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn. You know the drill by
now: listen and repeat.
Examples
I borrowed it from my brother.
I read the book from cover to cover.
The nearest post office is not far from here.
Come over any time from seven o'clock.
Tim
workshop for this week. I'll see you soon. Bye bye!
Tim
English is really spoken. Come on, let's go inside. You know how they say that British
people are obsessed with the weather? Well I'm feeling under it today. Under the
weather – that's an expression which means 'I'm not feeling very well'. Excuse me!
What do you say in your language when someone sneezes? Do you know what we say
in British English? Let's ask the people of London.
Voxpops
Bless you.
Bless you.
Bless you.
Bless you.
Tim
Thank you! Bless you! Now the word 'bless' ends in /s/ and 'you' begins with /j/. But
what happens to the /s/ sound when we put the two words together? Watch and listen
again.
Voxpops
Bless you.
Bless you.
Bless you.
Bless you.
Tim
In fluent speech, when a /s/ sound is followed by a /j/ then the /s/ changes to a /ʃ/ sound,
and this change also happens if the next word begins with the /ʃ/ sound itself. So 'bless
you' becomes 'bleshyou' and 'this shirt' becomes 'thishirt'. This is an example of
assimilation. And don't forget this can also happen if the /s/ is followed by a /t/, because
as you might remember from a previous video, the /t/ sound disappears between two
consonants. Here are some more examples.
Examples
Can you just shut the door please?!
This yacht is beautiful.
Don't worry, that's usual.
He always makes you feel good.
Tim
Right, so you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn. Listen and repeat.
Examples
Can you just shut the door please?!
This yacht is beautiful.
Don't worry, that's usual.
He always makes you feel good.
Tim
workshop for this week. I'll see you soon. Bye bye! Now, my mum always said that this
stuff is great when you're feeling under the weather. What is it? It's just yoghurt. Ewww.
Umm… better not. Toasty.
Tim
English is really spoken. Come on, let's go inside. Are you a creature of habit? For
example, do you have a routine in the mornings? Every morning, I like to have a cup of
tea and a chocolate biscuit. Mmmm. This is what some people in London told us when
we asked them what they do in the mornings
Voxpops
I always have some breakfast.
I always go to the gym in the morning.
I always drink a glass of warm water when I wake up.
Tim
One thing that happens when we speak English fluently is that we sometimes add
sounds between words to help link them together more smoothly and easily. Listen
again. Can you hear another sound between the words I and always?
Voxpops
I always have some breakfast.
I always go to the gym in the morning.
I always drink a glass of warm water when I wake up.
Tim
Did you catch it? It’s hardly there but when one word ends in /aɪ/, /ɪː/, /eɪ/ or/ɔɪ/ sound,
and the next word begins in a vowel sound, we can smooth the link out by adding a
small /j/ sound. I always [slowly] becomes I always [fluently]. This is sometimes called
the linking /j/. But be careful, your mouth normally does this naturally as your mouth
changes shape between the sounds. You don’t actually want to add a full /j/ sound.
Here are some more examples.
Examples
When I go on holiday I just want to lie on the beach.
The end of the film was brilliant.
I ate the whole cake in one go.
It was too high up for me to reach.
Tim
Right, now you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn. You know the drill: listen
and repeat.
Examples
When I go on holiday I just want to lie on the beach.
The end of the film was brilliant.
I ate the whole cake in one go.
It was too high up for me to reach.
Tim
workshop for this week. I'll see you soon. Bye bye! Right, now I've been looking forward
to this biscuit. Actually, do you want to see a magic trick? Now you see it, now you
don't. What? It's a magic trick – magic!
Tim
English is really spoken. Come on, let's go inside. You know, I’ve been thinking about
decorating my workshop – bringing a little bit of colour to it. But I can’t decide between
blue or orange. Hmm. Let’s ask the people of London.
Voxpops
I prefer the blue one to the orange one.
Tim
That sounds pretty comprehensive. Blue it is. I'll go in and get the paints. Ooh, but first,
let’s talk about pronunciation. Now, everyone used the definite article – the – and in
each case it wasn’t stressed, but the pronunciation was slightly different. I'm going to go
in and get the paints: you listen again and see if you can hear the two different ways the
definite article is pronounced. I'll see you inside.
Voxpops
Tim
If it’s not stressed, the pronunciation of the word the will change depending on the word
that follows. If the next word begins in a consonant sound, it’s pronounced /ðə/. I
prefer the blue one. But, if the next word begins in a vowel sound, it’s pronounced /ðɪː/.
I prefer the orange one. And you might remember from a previous video that when the
sound /ɪː/ is followed by a vowel sound, you might also hear a small linking /j/ in
between. I prefer the orange one. Here are some more examples.
Examples
In a restaurant, I always order the apple pie.
I think the autumn is the best time of year.
The earlier I get up, the happier I am.
It’s the one over there.
Tim
So you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn. Listen and repeat.
Examples
In a restaurant, I always order the apple pie.
I think the autumn is the best time of year.
The earlier I get up, the happier I am.
It’s the one over there.
Tim
workshop for this week. I'll see you soon. Bye bye! Right – let's get cracking on this
painting. Now, you know the problem with these paint pots is that the lids aren't always
the easiest to open. Ahh! Owww! Eeeshh! Not again!
Tim
Hi. I'm Tim and this is my pronunciation workshop. Here I'm going to show you how
English is really spoken. Come on, let's go inside. Wow. Isn't the world an amazing
place? Look how many countries there are! Well – at least ten! Do you like travelling?
How many countries have you visited? Now, is there any particular place, or country,
that you'd like to visit? This is what the people of London told us when we asked them
that same question.
Voxpops
I'd like to visit Iceland.
I'd like to visit South America.
I'd like to visit Spain and Greece.
I'd love to go to Egypt.
Tim
The contraction 'I'd' ends in the sound /d/, doesn’t it? Or does it? Listen again - can you
fully hear the /d/?
Voxpops
I'd like to visit Iceland.
I'd like to visit South America.
I'd like to visit Spain and Greece.
I'd love to go to Egypt.
Tim
We make the sounds of English in different ways, using different parts of our mouths.
There's a group of consonants called plosives, and if this sounds a bit like the word
'explosion', well, that's not a bad way of remembering it. Plosive sounds are made by
suddenly releasing air that has been blocked by various parts of the mouth. The
sound /d/ is one of these plosives. The others are /b/, /t/, /p/, /k/ and /g/. But in fluent,
everyday speech, when one word ends in a plosive sound and the next begins in
another consonant sound, we don’t always hear the release of the plosive sound. 'I'd
like to', becomes 'Idliketuh'. This is called 'an unreleased stop', or, if you want to get
really technical, 'a stop with no audible release'. Here are some more examples.
Examples
How about a quick chat?
You should thank her.
It was a sad time in his life.
Why don't you sit down?
Tim
Right, so you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn. You know the drill by now:
listen and repeat.
Examples
How about a quick chat?
You should thank her.
It was a sad time in his life.
Why don't you sit down?
Tim
Well done. And remember, if you want to learn more about this, then please visit our
website, bbclearningenglish.com. And that is about it from the pronunciation workshop
for this week. I'll see you soon. Bye bye! Now, if you were to ask me where I'd like to
visit next… well – anywhere! I just love travelling. Now let's see if we can find my next
destination. Oww! I hurt my finger… again!
Tim
Hi. I'm Tim and this is my pronunciation workshop. Here, I'm going to show you how
English is really spoken. Come on, let's go inside. You see this? This is my lunch - well,
either that, or it's some cat food. Anyway, do you know what we call this container? It's
a can, right? Now this has the same spelling as the modal 'can', and the same
pronunciation, hasn't it? Or has it? Listen carefully when we ask some people in London
how many languages they speak.
Voxpops
I can speak one language.
I can speak two languages.
I can speak two languages, English and Hindi.
Tim
They all used the word 'can'. But they didn't pronounce it as /kæn/. Listen again. How do
they pronounce it?
Voxpops
I can speak one language.
I can speak two languages, English and Hindi.
Tim
In fluent everyday English, when the modal auxiliary 'can' is unstressed, its
pronunciation changes to /kən/. 'I /kæn/ speak four languages' becomes: 'I /kən/ speak
four languages'. This is what's known as a weak form and it can occur in questions as
well. Here are some more examples.
Examples
Can you help me bring in the shopping, please?
I can swim further than I can run.
You can succeed if you work hard.
How far can you throw a tennis ball?
Tim
Right, so you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn. Are you ready? Listen and
repeat.
Examples
Can you help me bring in the shopping, please?
I can swim further than I can run.
You can succeed if you work hard.
How far can you throw a tennis ball?
Tim
workshop for this week. I'll see you soon. Bye bye! Right, now, time for lunch I think!
Ahh. Do you think I can open this can, without a can opener? Hey. Oh no – it is cat
food. Never mind, we can eat cat food, can't we? You know what? That is not bad.
Salmon? Rabbit? Mouse?
Tim
English is really spoken. Are you ready? Come on, let's go inside. In English, we have
an expression – man’s best friend. Do you know what that refers to? No, not beer.
Dogs. A dog is man’s best friend. But not always. What would you say to a dog who did
this?
Voxpops
Bad girl!
She's a bad girl!
The dog has been a bad girl!
Tim
Now, the word bad ends in /g/ doesn’t it? Or does it? Watch and listen again. Can you
hear the /d/?
Voxpops
Bad girl!
She's a bad girl!
The dog has been a bad girl!
Tim
In fluent speech, a /d/ changes to a /g/ when it comes before a /g/ or a /k/. So 'bad girl'
becomes 'bagirl'. This is an example of what is called assimilation. Here are some more.
Examples
He’s a really good cook.
Last night we had guests for dinner.
Can you print out the hard copy?
I’d love to walk down the red carpet one day.
Tim
Right, so you’ve heard some examples, now it’s your turn. You know the drill: Listen and
repeat.
Examples
Last night we had guests for dinner.
Can you print out the hard copy?
I’d love to walk down the red carpet one day.
Tim
visit our website, bbclearningenglish dot com. And that is about it from the workshop for
now. I'll see you soon. Bye! Now, you know what, I’m not really that keen on dogs, I’m
more of a cat person. Oh no, no, no that was just a joke - good girl, good girl, aaah! Oh,
very funny. You're actually quite cute. Who's a good girl? Who's a good girl? Argh! Bad
girl!
Tim
Hi. I'm Tim and this is my Pronunciation Workshop. Here, I'm going to show you how
English is really spoken. Come on, let's go inside. Today, I'm going to tell you about
perhaps the most common feature of fluent English pronunciation. And to help me, I’m
going to use one of these. Now, I know you know what it is, but let's ask the people of
London to describe it.
Voxpops
He's holding an egg.
Tim
An egg – that's two words, right? But, when we pronounce them, there's no gap in
between them. It almost sounds like one word. Listen again.
Voxpops
Tim
In fluent English, when one word ends in a consonant sound and the next word begins
in a vowel sound, we link the two sounds together without a pause in between them.
So, an egg becomes anegg. This is called catenation. Here are some more examples.
Examples
He’s in the garden.
I used to believe in Father Christmas, but not any more.
I had to give up jogging.
He had it in his office.
Tim
Right, so you've heard the examples: you know the drill. Listen and repeat.
Examples
He’s in the garden.
I used to believe in Father Christmas, but not any more.
I had to give up jogging.
He had it in his office.
Tim
Great work. Remember, if you want to learn more about pronunciation, then please visit
our website, bbclearningenglish dot com. And that is about it from the Pronunciation
Workshop for now. I'll see you soon. Bye! Now I think I’m going to have this egg, for my
lunch. It is a hard-boiled egg, isn't it?
Voice
Oh yes Tim, yes, yes, it's definitely a hard-boiled egg.
Tim
Great, looks good, Oh no no no no no! Ohhh, what a mess! Very funny.
Tim
English is really spoken. Come on, let's go inside. Oh dear, excuse me. I’m a bit tired: I
was out late last night, with the lads. I know, yeah, we didn't get back until 9.30. In the
evening. It was a wild night. I know, I know, I am a party animal. Anyway, while I get
myself together a bit, let's ask some other people in London what they got up to last
night.
Voxpops
At 9 o'clock last night I was watching a movie.
I was laying in bed.
I was invited to a dinner at my friend's house.
I was playing football
I was out drinking.
Tim
Well well, what interesting lives we all lead. Now they all used the past form of the verb
'to be' – was. Now the word was is made of the sounds /w/, /ɔ:/, / z/, isn’t it? Or is it?
Listen again. What sound can you actually hear?
Voxpops
At 9 o'clock last night I was watching a movie.
I was laying in bed.
I was invited to a dinner at my friend's house.
I was playing football
I was out drinking.
Tim
When the word was is unstressed, as in the examples we’ve just heard, then the vowel
sound changes to a schwa - /ə/. So was becomes /wəz/, and also were becomes /wə/.
These are called weak forms. Here are some more examples.
Examples
I was there when it happened.
We were delighted with the results.
We were having a good time until it rained.
He was feeling much better last night.
Tim
Right, now you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn. Listen and repeat.
Examples
I was there when it happened.
We were delighted with the results.
We were having a good time until it rained.
He was feeling much better last night.
Tim
Workshop for now. I'll see you soon. Bye bye! Now… oh look! Hey, you know what this
is? This is WAS backwards. Get it? WAS backwards… it's a SAW. Now, I know what
you were thinking. You were thinking that I was going to have some terrible accident.
Well don’t worry – it’s not even switched on – look! Wooahhhhh!!!
Tim
English is really spoken. Come on, let's go inside. Hey, look at this: a present. All
wrapped up in paper. Now, do you know what this is? Well, if you could smell it, it might
give you a clue.
Voice
Is it your old socks?
Tim
Very funny – No. No, it's not my old socks. It's something much, much nicer. Something
delicious in fact. Let's ask the people of London if they can tell what it is, without seeing
it.
Voxpops
Fish and chips.
Fish and chips.
Fish and chips.
Fish and chips.
Fish and chips.
Tim
Yes, that's right. It's good old fish and chips. I'm going to save that for later. Now the
word and has got three sounds, hasn't it? /æ/, /n/, /d/ - but listen again. How is it
pronounced in everyday speech?
Voxpops
Fish and chips.
Fish and chips.
Fish and chips.
Fish and chips.
Fish and chips.
Tim
And is not usually an important word. It’s a basic conjunction and it's frequently
unstressed. When this happens, the /d/ at the end of the word disappears before both
vowels and consonants, and the vowel sound at the beginning of the word changes to
schwa: /ə/, so and becomes /ən/ or even /n/ as the sounds are almost identical. Here
are some more examples.
Examples
I'm going to go and get the shopping.
Apples and oranges are my favourite fruits.
I’ve been thinking and thinking but I can't decide.
We went for a coffee and something to eat.
Tim
Right, so you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn. You know the drill. Listen
and repeat.
Examples
I'm going to go and get the shopping.
Apples and oranges are my favourite fruits.
I’ve been thinking and thinking but I can't decide.
We went for a coffee and something to eat.
Tim
Workshop for now. I'll see you next week. Bye! Now, there's only one thing to eat with
fish 'n' chips – and that's salt ‘n’ vinegar. This reminds me of one of my favourite jokes:
What do angry sharks eat? Fish ‘n’ ships. Get it? Fish ‘n’ ships! Oh, I don't know why I
bother. Ok, now, time to eat. What? What is this? What is going on? Where's the…? It
really is fish… and ships! Well that is the last time I'm telling that joke. This is no
laughing matter. I'm hungry now…
Tim
English is really spoken. It'll help you to become a better listener and a more fluent
speaker. Are you ready? Come on, follow me.
Now, are you an early bird? Do you catch the worm? Do you even have the faintest idea
what I’m talking about? Well, in English, an early bird is someone who gets up early in
the morning. Now I hate waking up early, but because of my job sometimes I have to
get up before 11 o'clock in the morning. I know - that's terrible, but I do it, just for
you. Let’s find out about some other Londoners.
Voxpops
I have to get up in the morning at six a.m.
I have to get up at half past six every morning.
I have to get up in the morning at 6.45.
I have to get up at 8 o'clock.
I have to get up at 5 or 6 o'clock.
I have to get up at half six.
Tim
The word ‘have’ ends in the sound /v/, doesn’t it - or does it? Listen again: what sound
can you actually hear? Also, pay attention to the pronunciation of the word ‘to’.
Voxpops
I have to get up in the morning at six a.m.
I have to get up at half past six every morning.
I have to get up in the morning at 6.45.
I have to get up at 8 o'clock.
I have to get up at 5 or 6 o'clock.
I have to get up at half six.
Tim
When we use the verb ‘have’ in its modal form: ‘have to’ meaning an obligation, the /v/
at the end of the word changes to an /f/. Also the vowel sound in the word ‘to’ changes
to a schwa - /ə/. ‘Have to’ becomes /hæftə/. Here are some more examples.
Examples
They have to be there by 10.
We have to find another flat.
You have to tell me the gossip.
I always have to take the train.
Tim
Right, so you’ve heard the examples, and now it’s your turn. Are you ready to start?
Listen and repeat.
Examples
They have to be there by 10.
We have to find another flat.
You have to tell me the gossip.
I always have to take the train.
Tim
visit our website, bbclearningenglish.com. And that is about it from the workshop for
this week: I'll see you soon. Bye bye. Right, now as I got up at the crack of 11.00 in
the morning, I’m exhausted – I have to grab 40 winks before the next shoot. Night night.
Ah, that's good...
Tim
Hi, I'm Tim and this is my pronunciation workshop. Here, I'm gonna show you how
speaker. Come on, let's go inside. Now, when we speak English fluently, the sounds in
words can join together, change or even disappear entirely. Sometimes more than one
of these can happen. Take this for example. Now, I'm sure you know what it is, but let's
ask the people of London:
Voxpops
An egg sandwich
It's a sandwich
It's a sandwich
It's an egg sandwich
Tim
Now, the word 'sandwich' has an /n/ followed by a /d/, doesn't it? Or does it? Listen
again, what sound can you hear?
Voxpops
An egg sandwich
It's a sandwich
It's a sandwich
It's an egg sandwich
Tim
Instead of 'sandwich', we hear 'samwich'. That's pretty crazy, right! So, what is going
on? Well, first the /d/ disappears in between two consonants. You might remember this
from our video on elision. So 'sandwich' becomes 'sanwich'. Now, we have an /n/
followed by a /w/ and /n/ changes to /m/ before /w/. You might remember this from our
video on assimilation. So sandwich becomes samwich. Have another look – this time in
slow motion. Watch the shape of the mouth. Can you see /nd/, or /m/?
Voxpops
Sandwich
Sandwich
Sandwich
Sandwich
Tim
Pretty cool, huh? Here are some more examples:
Examples
My grandparents have been married for 50 years.
I got a standby ticket.
The band played until midnight.
I left my handbag on the train.
Tim
Ok, so you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn. Are you ready? Listen and
repeat.
Examples
My grandparents have been married for 50 years.
I got a standby ticket.
The band played until midnight.
I left my handbag on the train.
Tim
Well done. Remember if you want to see more on pronunciation please visit our
website: bbclearningenglish.com. That's about it from the pronunciation workshop for
now. I'll see you soon. Bye. Now, where did I put that sandwich? It was handmade, just
for me. Argh!
Tim
Hi. I'm Tim and this is my pronunciation workshop. Here I'm going to show you how
speaker. Are you ready? Come on, follow me. Today, we’re going to talk about one of
the most important questions in contemporary Britain. The answer will also help you
improve your pronunciation. So, what is this question? Well, it involves one of these,
and one of these. Quite simply: do you prefer your potatoes steamed - or boiled?
What’s your preference? Well this is what the people of London think.
Voxpops
I prefer steamed potatoes.
I prefer boiled potatoes.
I prefer steamed potatoes to boiled potatoes.
Tim
Well there we have it: the nation has spoken. Our completely scientific survey proves
that the country is divided fifty-fifty. But what about pronunciation? Well, one of the
things that happens when we speak English fluently is that we don’t always pronounce
all the sounds in every word. The words steamed and boiled both end in the sound /d/,
don’t they? Or do they? Watch and listen again - can you hear the sound /d/?
Voxpops
I prefer steamed potatoes.
I prefer steamed potatoes to boiled potatoes.
Tim
It’s very difficult to say /d/ when it comes in between two other consonants. Your mouth
has to do a lot of work. So in many cases the /d/ is not pronounced. 'Boiled
potatoes becomes 'boilpotatoes'. And 'steamed potatoes' becomes steampotatoes.
This is called elision. Here are some more examples.
Examples
My best friend let me borrow his car.
Don’t hold back - say what you mean.
His bike rolled down the hill without him.
Tim
Right, so you’ve heard the examples, and now it’s your turn. You know the drill: listen
and repeat.
Examples
My best friend let me borrow his car.
Don’t hold back - say what you mean.
His bike rolled down the hill without him.
Tim
workshop for now. I'll see you soon. Bye bye. Right – now I'd better prepare my own
potatoes. Ahhh!! I just peeled my finger! Ewwwsh – doesn't look good…
Tim
speaker. Come on, let's go inside. Now, one of the things that happens when we speak
fluently is that the sounds at the end of a word can change. To demonstrate this, we
asked people on the streets of London to identify this Tube station.
Voxpops
Green Park
Green Park
Green Park
It's Green Park
Tim
Now, the word Green ends in the sound /n/, doesn't it? Or does it? Listen again, what
sound can you hear?
Voxpops
Green Park
Green Park
Green Park
It's Green Park
Tim
So, what's happening here? Well, when one word ends in the sound /n/ and the next
word begins with a /p/, /b/, /w/ or /m/ sound, then the /n/ from the end of the word
changes to an /m/ sound as your mouth gets ready to pronounce the next sound. 'Green
Park' becomes 'Greempark'. Watch again - this time in slow motion. Look at the mouth
shape. Can you see /n/, or /m/?
Voxpops
Green Park
Green Park
Green Park
It's Green Park
Tim
Interesting, eh? This is called assimilation. Here are some more examples:
Examples
I own ten pairs of socks.
He didn't do it on purpose.
I would love to live in Paris.
Can you come on Wednesday?
Tim
Right, so you've heard the examples and now it's your turn. Are you ready? Listen and
repeat.
Examples
I own ten pairs of socks.
He didn't do it on purpose.
I would love to live in Paris.
Can you come on Wednesday?
Tim
Well done. Now if you want to read more about pronunciation please visit our website:
bbclearningenglish.com That's about it from the pronunciation workshop for now. I'll see
you next time. Bye bye. Now, where is Green Park - is it on Buckingham Palace Road?
Aaaah!
Tim
speaker. Come on, let's go inside. When we speak English fluently we sometimes add
extra sounds in between the words to help them link together. Now, have a look at my
feet. What's wrong with this? Let's ask the people of London:
Voxpops
The shoe is on the other foot.
The shoe is on the wrong foot.
Tim
'Shoe' ends in the sound /u:/ and 'is' begins with the sound /ɪ/. But can you hear another
sound linking them together? Have another listen:
Voxpops
The shoe is on the other foot.
Tim
When one word ends in an /u:/ sound and the next begins in a vowel sound we can just
about hear another sound in between. This sound is a bit like /w/. So 'The shoe is…'
becomes 'The shoewis'. This is called the linking /w/ - but it's important to remember
that it's not a full /w/ sound. It happens because the mouth moves from an /u:/ sound to
a vowel sound and on the way it passes through the /w/ mouth shape. Here are some
more examples:
Examples
When do I have to be there?
I haven't got a clue at all.
That glue is really strong.
I really can't do it.
Tim
So, you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn. Are you ready? Listen and
repeat.
Examples
When do I have to be there?
I haven't got a clue at all.
That glue is really strong.
I really can't do it.
Tim
Well done. Now remember, if you want to learn more about pronunciation, please visit
our website, bbclearningenglish.com. And that's about it from the pronunciation
workshop this week. See you soon. Bye. Now I really must get this other shoe on,
otherwise I'm going to have an accident. Aaah! Too late.
Tim
speaker. You ready? Come on, follow me. Now, there's an idiom in the English
language that means that something is really easy. Any idea what it is? Well, here's a
clue. Do you know now? Let's ask the people of London:
Voxpops
It's a piece of cake
Tim
A piece of cake – an expression that means that something is really easy to do, as well
as meaning – a piece of cake. But listen again to the words 'a' and 'of'. They are actually
pronounced the same. What is the sound - and are those words stressed?
Voxpops
Tim
The words 'a' and 'of' are both pronounced as /ə/ and they're not stressed. This
sound /ə/ is the most common sound in the whole English language. It's so common
that it even has its own name – schwa. Now, it can be difficult to hear the schwa
because it is never stressed. However, it's a vowel sound that's used in many grammar
words like articles and prepositions. Here are some more examples.
Examples
I like a cup of tea in the morning.
Could you get a packet of biscuits?
Can you give it to me?
I had an apple for lunch today.
Tim
So, you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn. Are you ready to start? Listen
and repeat.
Examples
I like a cup of tea in the morning.
Could you get a packet of biscuits?
Can you give it to me?
I had an apple for lunch today.
Tim
Great work. Now remember, if you want to learn more about pronunciation then please
visit our website: bbclearningenglish.com. That's about it from the pronunciation
workshop for now. I'll see you soon. Bye bye. Now, I've got a cup of tea and I've got a
biscuit, I'm looking forward to a piece of cake. That was a mistake, but a tasty one.
Tim
Hi, I'm Tim and this is my pronunciation workshop. Here I'm gonna show you how
speaker. Come on, let's go inside.
Have you ever seen a ghost? No, of course you haven't, because they don't exist. But
have you ever heard a sound that wasn't there? Well, if you've listened to lots of real
English, you probably have. We asked the people of London what they think is the most
important thing the government should prioritise. This is what they said:
Voxpops
I think law and order is important.
Yes, I think law and order is important.
Law and order is very important.
We all think that law and order is important.
I think law and order is very important.
Tim
Meet my boys. 'Law' and 'order'. Join them together with the word 'and' and you can
hear another sound after the word 'law'. Listen out for it.
Voxpops
I think law and order is important.
Yes, I think law and order is important.
Law and order is very important.
We all think that law and order is important.
I think law and order is very important.
Tim
In fluent speech, if a word ends in an /ɔː/ sound, like law and the next word begins in an
/ə/, you'll often hear a /r/ sound linking them together. Law-r-and order. Law-r-
and order. 'Law-r-and order' is easier to say than 'law and order'. It flows better.
And this is called intrusion. Now this is a little bit controversial. It doesn't happen in all
accents and some people do say it's not the proper way to speak. But it is something
you will hear. Just remember the /r/ sound is not very strong. Here are some other
examples:
Examples
Can you draw a circle freehand?
My dog hurt its paw on some broken glass.
There was a flaw in the argument.
I saw a good film last night.
Tim
Right, so you've heard the examples, now it's your turn. Are you ready to give it a try?
Listen and repeat.
Examples
Can you draw a circle freehand?
My dog hurt its paw on some broken glass.
There was a flaw in the argument.
I saw a good film last night.
Tim
How did you do? Well done. Now, if you want to read more about this topic, please visit
our website bbclearningenglish.com. That's it from the pronunciation workshop for this
week. Bye.
Now, do you want a war or what? Ow!
Tim
Hi, I'm Tim and this is my pronunciation workshop. Here I'm gonna show you how
speaker. Come on, let's go inside.
Now, do you know my star sign? Of course you don't, I don't even know my star sign. I
don't believe in any of that rubbish. But I know someone who does. Say hello to my
twin, Tom.
Tom
Hi.
Tim
Hi Tom.
Tom
Oh, hi Tim.
Tim
So, Tom, what's our star sign?
Tom
I don't know what yours is Tim, but I'm a Gemini.
Tim
Thanks Tom, you can go now.
Tom
You're welcome. Bye.
Tim
You know when I think of Tom, and the fact that I got the brains and the good looks, it
makes me feel a bit like this.
Oh, I've got an idea. I can use this to help with this week's topic. Let's ask the people of
London what they think of this photo.
Voxpops
That man looks sad.
He looks sad.
He looks sad.
He looks sad.
He looks sad.
He looks sad.
Tim
How many 's' s are there in the words 'he looks sad'. Two, right. But how many can you
hear? Watch again.
Voxpops
That man looks sad.
He looks sad.
He looks sad.
He looks sad.
He looks sad.
He looks sad.
Tim
When one word ends in a /s/ sound and the next word begins in /s/, we don't pronounce
both sounds, nor do we pronounce just one sound. Instead they come together to make
a slightly longer 's' sound. So, 'he looks sad' becomes 'he lookssad'. This is called
'twinning' or gemination. It helps the words to flow smoothly from one to the other in
everyday speech. Here are some more examples:
Voxpops
She's silly.
He's sitting over there.
Can you come this Saturday?
That's so unfair!
Tim
Right, so you've heard some examples, now it's your turn. Are you ready to start? Listen
and repeat.
Examples
She's silly.
He's sitting over there.
Can you come this Saturday?
That's so unfair!
Tim
So how did you get on? Great. Remember, you can always read more about this topic
on our website, bbclearningenglish.com. That's all from the workshop for now. See you
next week. Bye bye.
Tom
Oh, Tim, I've got it! If I'm Gemini and you're my twin, then you must be Virgo!
Tim
He really is stupid.
Tim
Hi, I'm Tim and this is my pronunciation workshop. Here I'm gonna look at English as it's
really spoken. It'll make you a better listener and a more fluent speaker. Come on, let's
go inside.
Today, we're talking about war. War, what is it good for? Well, as it turns out, it can be
used to help illustrate a feature of fluent speech. As you can see, we write war with
three letters: w-a-r, but when we pronounce it, there are only two sounds: /w/ /ɔː/.
The 'r' in the spelling is not pronounced in the word itself, or if the next word begins with
a consonant sound. But have a listen to this. We went out and asked people in the
streets of London to name a famous Russian book. This is what they said:
Voxpops
Oh the most famous Russian book I can think of is War and Peace.
War and Peace.
War and Peace.
War and Peace.
Tim
Simple, right? Everybody knows War and Peace.
Voxpops
I've never heard of the book War and Peace.
Tim
Well, almost everybody. But have another listen to the way they say it.
Voxpops
War and Peace.
War and Peace.
War and Peace.
War and Peace.
Tim
The word after war begins with a vowel sound. And in this case, the 'r' is pronounced.
War and Peace, War and Peace. This is called a 'linking r' and it helps to make the
words flow together more smoothly in natural speech. Here are some more examples:
Examples
You know, I really like my mother-in-law.
Have you been to the Tower of London?
You've got something in your eye.
Never again!
Tim
So, you've heard the examples - now it's your turn. Are you ready to give it a try? Listen
and repeat.
Examples
You know, I really like my mother-in-law.
Have you been to the Tower of London?
You've got something in your eye.
Never again!
Tim
How did you get on? Great. Remember, if you want to read more about this topic please
visit our website, bbclearningenglish.com. That's everything from the pronunciation
workshop this week. Bye.
Can somebody call for an ambulance? Please!
Tim
speaker. Come on, let's go inside. Here's a question for you: When is a tea not a tea?
Well, this is the answer. What is it? And what colour is it? Let's go to the streets of
London to find out.
Voxpops
Tim
Now the word 'white' ends in the sound /t/ doesn't it? Or does it? Let's have another
listen.
Voxpops
Tim
In fluent speech, if one word ends in a /t/ sound and the next word begins in a /p/ sound,
the /t/ is pronounced slightly differently. In fact, we pronounce it as if it were almost a
/p/ sound. So 'white piece of paper' becomes 'whi(te) piece of paper'. Let's take another
look, this time in slow motion:
Voxpops
whi(te) piece
whi(te) piece
whi(te) piece
whi(te) piece
whi(te) piece of paper
Tim
Interesting, hey? This is an example of how sounds change in everyday speech - and
it's called assimilation. Here are some more examples:
Examples
There are lots of grea(t) parks in London.
I love spli(t) pea soup.
I ha(te) potatoes.
My ma(te) picked us up from the airport.
Tim
Right, so, you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn. Are you ready to have a
go? Listen and repeat.
Examples
There are lots of great parks in London.
I love split pea soup.
I hate potatoes.
My mate picked us up from the airport.
Tim
How did you get on? Great. If you want to hear more about this topic, please visit our
website bbclearningenglish.com. That's about it from the pronunciation workshop this
week. Bye bye.
Did you just see…? I could have sworn it was… You know, sometimes I think I have a
split personality!
Pronunciation
Once you have thoroughly studied intonation and word connections, you can begin to
address the sounds of English. The three most important vowels are æ, ä, and .
This last symbol, called the schwa, is represented with an upside down e, and is the
most common sound in the English language. These are the vowels found
in cat, caught and cut.
The three most distinctive consonants are R, the American middle T, and the Th sound.
The R i s a consonant, but it acts more like a vowel, because the tip of the tongue
doesn't touch anywhere in the mouth. The middle T is what makes a word like meeting
sound like meeding. As the most commonly used word in English is the word the, the Th
is very important. Here are some very high-frequency TH words: the, these, those, they,
them, there, they're, their, this, that and then. If these and those are pronounced with a D
instead of a TH, it sounds like dese and dose, which is considered lower class in
America.
The American R
The American R is like a vowel because it does not touch anywhere in the mouth. In
Korean, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, Greek and many other languages, the R is a
consonant because it touches behind the teeth. The American R is produced deep in the
throat. Like the French R and the German R, the American R is in the throat, but unlike
those two consonant sounds, it doesn't touch. Let's contrast two similar sounds: ä and
r. Hold your hand out in front of you, with your palm up, like you are holding a tray on it.
Slightly drop your hand down, and say ah, like you want the doctor to see your throat.
Now, curl your fingers up slightly, and say r. Your tongue should feel in about the same
position as your hand.
Let's start with the æ sound. Although it's not a common sound, æ is very distinctive to
the ear, and is typically American. In the practice paragraph vowel chart, this sound
occurs 5 times. As its phonetic symbol indicates, æ is a combination of ä + e. To
pronounce it, drop your jaw down as if you were going to say ä; then from that position,
try to say eh. The f inal sound is not two separate vowels, but rather the end result of the
combination. It is very close to the sound that a goat makes: ma-a-a-a!
If you find yourself getting too nasal with æ, pinch your nose as you say it. Go to the
practice paragraph and find the 5 æ sounds, including æu as in down or out.
The ä sound is a more common sound than æ; you will find 10 such sounds in the
practice paragraph. To pronounce ä, relax your tongue and drop your jaw as far down as
it will go. As a matter of fact, put your hand under your chin and say mä, pä, tä, sä. Your
hand should be pushed down by your jaw as it opens. Remember, it's the sound that you
make when the doctor wants to see your throat.
uh
Last is the schwa, the most common sound in American English. When you work on the
practice paragraph, depending on how fast you speak, how smoothly you make liaisons,
how strong your into nation is, how much you relax your sounds, you will find from 50 to
75 schwas. Spelling doesn't help identify it, because it can appear as any one of the
vowels, or a combination of them. It is a neutral vowel sound, uh. It is usually in an
unstressed syllable, though it can be stressed as well.
Whenever you find a vowel that can be crossed out and its absence wouldn't change the
pronunciation of the word, you have probably found a schwa: photography f'tägr'fee (the
two apostrophes show the location of the neutral vowel sounds).
Because it is so common, however, the wrong pronunciation of this one little sound can
leave your speech strongly accented, even if you Americanize everything else.
Remember, some dictionaries use two different written characters, the upside down e &
^ for the neutral uh sound, but for simplicity, we are only going to use the first one.
Silent or Neutral?
A schwa is neutral, but it is not silent. By comparison, the silent E at the end of a word is
a signal for pronunciation, but it is not pronounced itself: code is kod. The E tells you to
say an o. If you leave the E off, you have cod, käd. The schwa, on the other hand, is
neutral, but it is an actual sound, uh. For example, you could also write photography as
phuh-tah-gruh-fee.
The schwa is a neutral sound, (no distinctive characteristics), but it is the most common
sound in the English language. To make the uh sound, put your hand on your diaphragm
and push until a grunt escapes. Don't move your jaw, tongue or lips, just allow the sound
to flow past your vocal cords. It should sound like uh, not ah.
Once you master the two sounds æ and uh, you will have an easier time pronouncing
'can' and 'can't'. In a sentence, the simple positive 'can' sound like k'n. The simple
negative 'can't' sounds like kæn(t).
The American T
The American T is influenced very strongly by intonation and its position in a word or
phrase. It can be a little tricky if you try to base your pronunciation on spelling alone.
There are, however, 4 basic rules: T is T, T is D, T is Silent,T is Held.
1 Top of the Staircase T is T

If the T is at the beginning of a word (or the top of the staircase), it is a strong, clear T
sound.
In the beginning of a word: table, take, tomorrow, teach, ten, turn Thomas tried two
times.
With a stressed T and ST, TS, TR, CT, LT and sometimes NT combinations: They control
the contents.
In the past tense, D sounds like T, after an unvoiced consonant sound — f, k, p, s, ch, sh,
th (but not T).
picked pikt, hoped houpt, raced rast, watched wächt, washed wäsht
It took Tim ten times to try the telephone.
2 Middle of the Staircase T is D

If the T is in the middle of the word, intonation changes the sound to a soft D.
Letter sounds like ledder.
Water, daughter, bought a, caught a, lot of, got a, later, meeting, better
Practice these sentences:
What a good idea. w'd' güdäi deey'

Put it in a bottle. pü di di n' bäd'l
Get a better water heater. gedda bedder wäder heeder
Put all the data in the computer. püdall the dayd' in the k'mpyuder
Patty ought to write a better letter. pædy äd' ride a bedder ledder
3 T is Silent
T and N are so close in the mouth that the t can disappear.
interview innerview
international innernational
advantage ædvæn'j
percentage percen'j
If the T is at the end of a word, you almost don't hear it at all.
put, what, lot, set, hot, sit, shot, brought.

That's quite right, isn't it?
4 Bottom of the Staircase T is Held

With -tain, -tten and some TN combinations, the T is held. The "held T" is, strictly
speaking, not really a T at all. Remember, t and n are very close in the mouth. If you have
n immediately after t, you don't pop the t—the tongue is in the t position, but your release
the air for the n not the t. Make sure you don't put a schwa before the n. An important
point to remember is that you need a sharp upward sliding intonation up to the "held T,"
then a quick drop for the N.
Written, certain, forgotten, sentence

He's forgotten the carton of satin mittens.
She's certain that he has written it.
Martin has gotten a kitten.
The American L
The American L has two different pronunciations in English (of course, otherwise it
would be too easy!). In the beginning or middle of a word, the tongue tip touches just
behind the teeth — on those hard ridges. In this position, the L shouldn't give you much
trouble. The difficulty begins when the L is at the end of a word. Because the letter L has
a shorter, sharper pronunciation in other languages, this will carry over into English,
where the whole word will just sound too short. At the end of a word, the L is especially
noticeable if it is either missing (Chinese) or too short (Spanish). You need to put a little
schwa sound before the final L. If you want to say the word ball, bäl, it will sound too
short if you don't say bä-uhl. You may even need to add a tiny schwa at the end to finish
off the L, bä-uh-luh.
One way to avoid the pronunciation difficulty of a final L, such as in call, is to make a
liaison when the next word begins with a vowel. For example, if you want to say I have to
call on my friend, let the liaison do your work for you; say, I have to kä-län my friend.
Tee Aitch
The most common word in the English language is THE, so after the schwa, th would be
the sound you would hear most often, which is why it is so important to master it. (th
also exists in English, Greek and Castillian Spanish.) Besides 'the,' there are several
other very common words that start with a voiced th:
this, that, that, those, they, them, their, there, then
Just as with most of the other consonants, there are two types — voiced and unvoiced.
The voiced TH is like a D, but instead of being in back of the teeth, it's 1/4 inch lower
and forward, between the teeth. The unvoiced TH is like an S between the teeth. Most
people tend to replace the unvoiced TH with S or T and the voiced one with Z or D.
Instead of thing, they say sing, or ting. Instead of that, they say zat or dat.
To pronounce TH correctly, think of a snake's tongue. You don't want to take a big
relaxed tongue and push it far between your teeth and just leave it out there. Make only
a very quick, sharp little movement. Keep the tip of your tongue very tense. It darts out
between your teeth and snaps back very quickly.
I and E
These two sounds probably give you a lot of trouble. One reason for this is that most
languages don't make a distinction here. Another reason is that there are four ways of
saying these two sounds, depending what the final consonant is.
This another place where intonation and pronunciation overlap. When you say the long
e, it is a tense vowel sound. You slightly draw your lips back and raise the back of your
tongue. When you say the short i, it is a lax vowel sound. Don't move your lips AT ALL
and open your throat.
If the final consonant is unvoiced (whispered), t, k, f, p, s, sh, ch, then the middle vowel
sound is quick and sharp: bit or beet If the final consonant is voiced (spoken), d, g, v, b,
z, zh, j or any vowel, then the middle vowel sound is doubled: bi-id or bee-eed.
Liaisons In American English, words are not pronounced one by one. Usually, the
end of one word attaches to the beginning of the next word. This is also
There are four true for initials, numbers, and spelling. Part of the glue that connects
main points sentences is an underlying hum or drone that only breaks when you come
where liaisons to a period, and sometimes not even then. You have this underlying hum
happen: in your own language and it helps a great deal toward making you sound
like a native speaker.
Consonant &
Vowel Once you have a strong intonation, you need to connect all those
stairsteps together so that each sentence sounds like one long word.
Consonant &
Consonant
The dime.
The dime easier.
Vowel & Vowel They tell me the dime easier.
They tell me the dime easier to understand.
They tell me that I'm easier to understand.
T, D, S, or Z &
the Y sound

The last two sentences above should be pronounced exactly the same, no
matter how they are written. It is the sound that is important, not
the spelling.
Consonant & Words are connected when a words ends in a consonant sound and the
Vowel next word starts with a vowel sound, including the semivowels W, Y and
R. (You can check out the individual sounds as well: Pronunciation).

Spelling Pronunciation
My name is Ann. [my nay mi zæn]
American accent [amer'k' næksent]

You also use liaisons in spelling and numbers.

LA [eh lay]
909-5068 [näi nou näin, fäi vo sick sate]
Consonant & Words are connected when a word ends in a consonant sound and the
Consonant next word starts with a consonant that is in a similar position.

Lips Behind Teeth Throat
Unvoiced P, F T, Ch, S, Sh K, H
Voiced B, V D, J, Z, Zh G, Ng, R
For example, if a word ends with a letter from the Behind Teeth category

and the next word starts with a letter from that same category, these
words are going to naturally join together. This is the same
for Lips and Throat.
I just didn't get the chance [I jussdidn't ge(t)the chance]
I've been late twice. [äivbin la(t)twice]
Vowel & Vowel When a word ending in a vowel sound is next to one beginning with a
vowel sound, they are connected with a glide between the two vowels.
Go away. [go(w)away]
I also need the other one. [äi(y)älso need the(y)other one]
A glide is either a slight [y] sound or a slight [w] sound. How do you know
which one to use? This will take care of itself--the position your lips are in
will dictate either [y] or [w].
For example, if a word ends in [o], your lips are going to be in the forward
position, so a [w] quite naturally leads into the next vowel sound:
[Go(w)away].
After a long [e] sound, you lips will be pulled back far enough to create a
[y] glide or liaison: [I(y)also need the(y)other one]. Don't force this sound
too much, though. It's not a strong pushing sound.
When the letter or sound of T, D, S or Z is followed by a word that starts

T, D, S or Z + Y with Y, or its sound, both sounds are connected. These letters and sounds
connect not only with Y, but they do so as well with the initial unwritten [y]
sound of syllables and words. They form a combination that changes the
pronunciation.
T + Y = CH

What's your name? [Whacher name?]
Can't you do it? [Canchoo do it?]
Don't you like it? [Donchoo like it?]
actually [achully]

D+Y=J
What did you do? [Whajoo do?]
Would you help me? [Wüjoo help me?]
Did you like it? [Didja like it?]
graduation [graju(w)ation]

S + Y = SH
insurance [inshurance]
sugar [shüg'r]

Z + Y = ZH
How's your family? [howzher family?]
Who's your friend? [hoozhier friend?]
casual [kazhyoow'l]
usual [yuzhoow'l]

Sim Pail Sent Ants Struck Shore (Simple Sentence Structure)

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Abe You Team Arc

Can you keep a secret?

Tim and Tom

Now, do you want a war or what? Ow!

Can somebody call for an ambulance? Please!

There are, however, 4 basic rules: T is T, T is D, T is Silent,T is Held.

1 Top of the Staircase T is T

2 Middle of the Staircase T is D

Practice these sentences:

What a good idea. w'd' güdäi deey'

If the T is at the end of a word, you almost don't hear it at all.

put, what, lot, set, hot, sit, shot, brought.

4 Bottom of the Staircase T is Held

Written, certain, forgotten, sentence

this, that, that, those, they, them, their, there, then

American accent [amer'k' næksent]

909-5068 [näi nou näin, fäi vo sick sate]

For example, if a word ends with a letter from the Behind Teeth category

I just didn't get the chance [I jussdidn't ge(t)the chance]

I've been late twice. [äivbin la(t)twice]

I also need the other one. [äi(y)älso need the(y)other one]

When the letter or sound of T, D, S or Z is followed by a word that starts

What's your name? [Whacher name?]

Can't you do it? [Canchoo do it?]

Don't you like it? [Donchoo like it?]

What did you do? [Whajoo do?]

Would you help me? [Wüjoo help me?]

Did you like it? [Didja like it?]

How's your family? [howzher family?]

Who's your friend? [hoozhier friend?]

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